Insights from our Editorial Team

Chasing mandates on security compliance may be driven by aversion to fines. But that approach can lead to faulty security measures and, more importantly, impair your security stance. Listen in on a discussion of "how to think about security."

Implementing energy storage is fraught with complexities. While it has some clear-cut applications, some argue that alternatives for those applications are less costly. And implementing energy storage can have unintended consequences for the electricity market, possibly upending environmental goals. Should California establish procurement goals for utilities, given the uncertainties?

Need a primer on energy storage issues? We offer a look at the issues faced by California regulators as they seek to articulate policy to answer the demands of legislation known as AB 2514. Today, the utility perspective. Tomorrow, other interested parties.

Big Data calls for an IT architecture that can store, manage and extract value from data streams on a scale not seen by utilities until now. Central governance is favored over separate silos. And in-house expertise in determining the business questions that guide data mining will likely be sought. Two utilites describe their approach in this column.

As I have noted before, a critical piece of the intelligent utility is the intelligent consumer. In my opinion, the latter was sorely lacking in the public input portion of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Feb. 1 business meeting. As I watched the video coverage yesterday, I was struck nearly dumb by some of the continued public outrage against the CPUC's proposed decision on agenda item 28, the modification of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E's) smart meter program.

The California Public Utilities Commission has spoken on PG&E's opt-out program and, now, our readers have their say. Those objecting to paying for their opt-out option could cost fellow ratepayers about $50 million in the first year, if they have their way.

The California Public Utilities Commission yesterday approved analog meters as the opt-out option for Pacific Gas & Electric. The decision raises fundamental questions about the future of a smarter grid, about the integrity of the regulatory process and about the motivations behind those who reject smart meters for purported health reasons.

The California Public Utility Commission may decide today to make analog meters Pacific Gas and Electric's sole opt-out option, discarding its own recommended option and one suggested by PG&E. While the CPUC effectively dealt with much of the misinformation fomented by various anti-smart meter parties, it may adopt their solution. And other ratepayers may foot the bill.

Regulators in California decide Wednesday on PG&E's proposal for customers who want to opt-out of smart meters. The objections filed in the case and the CPUC's proposed decision air many issues that echo around the country. Let's take a look.

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